Friday, 18 August

Applications open for 2015 around-the-world travel grant

Undergraduates at the University of Liverpool have the chance to compete for an around-the-world travel grant to fund an academic research project.

The Circumnavigators Club Foundation of New York is offering students the chance to win a grant worth more than £5,000 to fund a research trip encompassing at least five countries across at least three continents on a one-way circumnavigation of the globe.

Liverpool is the only University in the UK to host the Circumnavigators Club Foundation competition. The programme is aimed at full-time undergraduate students who are in their penultimate year of study. The project will be undertaken over 10-weeks during the summer prior to the start of the final year of study.

The 2014 Circumnavigators grant winner was economics undergraduate Jack McCarthy, who travelled this summer to Morocco, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Mexico. The focus of his report was the impact of microfinance on individuals and communities in various locations. To read Jack’s blog about his travels, visit: http://thelongwayround.weebly.com/.

Commenting on his experience Jack said: “I was attracted to apply for the grant because I have always wanted to travel (ever since some experiences in India and South Africa when I was younger) and I have always been interested in the developing world. From my study of the Grameen Bank in A-Level Geography I had a large interest in the use of microfinance as a source of alleviating poverty. When the grant was advertised it linked these two and created a summer which gave me the opportunity to have what would be an amazing adventure.”

Applications for the 2015 grant need to be submitted by Friday 14th November 2014 and should contain a project outline covering the proposed study topic. Proposals should seek to further global scholarship or understanding, be relevant to your area of academic study or area of interest, and include a plan of study and research methods as well as a proposed itinerary.

Diane Appleton from the University’s Careers & Employability Service works with the Foundation to select the grant winner. Commenting on the programme, she said: “This is a superb opportunity for a student to spend the summer furthering research ambitions, and travelling the world.

“The value of the prize in terms of life, work and research experience is huge.”
When asked about the benefits of the grant, Jack said “Apart from a great addition to my CV I feel that the research has meant that I can face pretty much anything and not be daunted. What used to be potentially overwhelming has just stopped being so. I’ve also made great, lasting friendships around the world.”